Longshot Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan can take the second step toward becoming the 13th Triple Crown winner of all-time when he leaves the starting gate in the 2024 Preakness Stakes on Saturday at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md. In the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago, Mystik Dan rode the rail to win a three-horse photo finish and capture the first leg of the Triple Crown. Mystik Dan was 5-2 in the original Preakness Stakes odds, but with the scratch of morning-line favorite Muth on Wednesday, Mystik Dan is expected to leave the starting gate as the favorite. Post time is 7:01 p.m. ET.

With an accomplished field set to enter the starting gate on Saturday, you'll want to see what SportsLine writer Gene Menez has to say before making any Preakness Stakes picks or horse racing predictions, given the success he had in last year's race. Join SportsLine here to get his full Preakness Stakes picks and start winning!

A former reporter and editor at Sports Illustrated, Menez covered an array of sports, including horse racing, for the magazine and its website for almost 14 years. Between 2010 and 2012, he served as SI's handicapper for the Triple Crown races and correctly predicted Super Saver to win the Kentucky Derby in 2010.

In 2015, while writing for Sports on Earth, Menez accurately gave out the Kentucky Derby superfecta (American Pharoah, Firing Line, Dortmund and Frosted), which paid $1,268.20 for $2. Then in 2017, he tweeted out his Kentucky Derby picks, including Always Dreaming to win, and hit the Pick 4, which paid almost $6,900 on a $1 bet. Join SportsLine right here to see his 2024 Preakness Stakes picks!

In a span of seven races last year for SportsLine, he cashed the winner of the Lecomte Stakes, the exacta in the Southwest Stakes ($468), the winner of the Holy Bull Stakes, the winner of the Sam F. Davis Stakes, and the trifecta in the Jenny Wiley Stakes.

And most importantly, he correctly called National Treasure to win last year's Preakness.

Now, Menez has looked at the 2024 Preakness Stakes, made his picks and formulated his bets. Join SportsLine here to see them!

We can tell you that Menez is completely tossing Mystik Dan even though he is the Kentucky Derby winner. "Now he has to come back after that all-out effort on short rest to win the Preakness, and his history shows that will be a problem," Menez told SportsLine. Menez will not be using Mystik Dan in any of his wagers.

Moreover, Menez's top pick is a horse who is "set up to run a career-best race." He also is high on a double-digit longshot who should "come running late." He is including these horses in his wagers, and so should you. You ABSOLUTELY NEED to see which horses they are before making any 2024 Preakness Stakes picks of your own!

So who wins the 2024 Preakness Stakes? What big double-digit longshot is a must-back? And how has Menez constructed his wagers? ... Join SportsLine now to get the top 2024 Preakness Stakes picks and bets, all from the expert who nailed last year's Preakness winner!